Is Derrick Henry The ‘Lowest Paid Athlete’ In All Of Sports?
Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans may be the lowest paid athlete in sports today.
Sports media personality Dan Patrick expressed this feeling during his radio show on Thursday, according to The Spoon’s Matt Hladik. Patrick argued that Henry’s career $42 million salary is comparable to that of journeyman quarterback Chase Daniels.
“Do you want someone who’s really annoying? Derrick Henry. He might be the lowest paid athlete in all of sports,” Patrick quipped. “He’s made $42 million in his career.”
“Chase Daniels, the backup quarterback, hasn’t played a meaningful game in his career and made $42 million,” Patrick said.
The popular sports talk show host also felt that Derrick Henry has been the most integral player in his team’s success in recent years. In his opinion, only Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been as invaluable to his team as King Henry.
Patrick said, “When you think about a guy and what he means to a team other than Patrick Mahomes, when Derrick Henry was being Derrick Henry and rushing for 1,800 yards, for his team No one was more important than him.”
“You want someone who’s really annoying. Derrick Henry. He might be the lowest-paid athlete in all of sports. He made $42 million in his career. Chase Daniels, the back-up QB, Hasn’t played a meaningful game. Made $42 million in his career.”
DP on Derrick Henry pic.twitter.com/y7jLis2N0l
– The Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) 20 July 2023
Will Derrick Henry Stay With The Tennessee Titans In 2024 And Beyond?
The three-time Pro Bowler and 2020 NFL Offensive Player of the Year is entering the final year of a four-year, $50 million contract extension. He currently belongs to the NFL 4th highest paid running back With an average salary of $12.5 million.
Henry led the league in rushing yardage and rushing touchdowns in 2019 and 2020. He had a combined 3,567 rushing yards and 33 rushing touchdowns during that two-year time frame.
With Derrick Henry playing at a high level, the Titans averaged 10 wins per year from 2019 to 2020. He made the postseason every time.
Henry returned from an injury-plagued 2021 NFL season in 2022 after rushing for 1,538 yards and 13 touchdowns. Despite his return, the Titans lost seven games in a row after a 7–3 start and were immediately eliminated from post-season contention.
On his part, Henry seems ready to pick up where he left off last season. A tweet of Henry doing Bulgarian split squats went viral late last month. If anything else, it’s a clear sign that he’s ready to perform at a higher level when the season begins in the fall.
Rumors about a possible trade involving Henry spread widely in April. However, in the following weeks they fail.
If the Titans unite in 2023 and offer Henry a hefty salary, they will improve their chances of retaining his services. Otherwise, we could see Derrick Henry earning top dollar with another team in 2024.
